Kasaragod: The Kerala High Court has passed a judgement releasing black magician S H Imam Hussain of Karnataka who was accused in the murders of Srikrishna Bhat (45) and his wife Shrimati (35), residents of Devaloka near Perla. The court let go the accused due to lack of evidence.
Case details
Srikrishna Bhat couple was murdered on Aug 9
th 1993. Srikrishna has sought black magician Hussain’s assistance to bring out a treasure which was resumed to be hidden within the farm limits belonging to the victim. As a requirement for the rituals to be conducted, a pit deep enough for a person to stand in was dug in the farm of Mr Bhat into which Srikrishna was asked to alight and stand with his eyes closed and pray. Prior to this, the couple was given sleeping tablets laced water as ‘Prasadam’.
Even as Mr Bhat stood in the pit with his eyes closed praying, the accused hit his head with a spade and murdered him. Later he went into the house and finished off the victim’s wife who was lying unconscious by strangulation. He then made off with a 8 pavan gold chain and cash, states the case booked against the accused at Badiyadka police station.
Absconding for 19 years, arrested
Even though Badiyadka police attempted to fine the accused for 15 years, he was not found. In 2008, the case was handed over to the crime branch. Finally, 19 years since the occurrence of the murder, the accused was nabbed from a quarters at Nelamangala in Bengaluru.
Plea to the higher court from the jail itself
The case was investigated by Kasaragod Additional District Sessions Court which held the accused guilty of his crimes and sentenced him to two terms of life imprisonment and fined Rs 2 lakh on Nov 21, 2013. Meanwhile, Hussain submitted a plea to the high court from the jail itself.
